Chapter 170 - This Is Your Limit, Not My Limit

Of course, the locations of Top-grade Cultivation Methods are unknown and require constant exploration.The more you explored, the higher your comprehensive strength was rated.

Furthermore, each Magic Skill was guarded by something.

Defeating them would also be assessed as part of your combat prowess, earning you corresponding points.

Combat prowess was the foundation of the rankings.

The Sect had always been this way.

At that moment, a woman stood before the fourth stone stele, gazing at number 210, who was ranked dead last. She couldn’t help but sigh.

She was the only one who had been thoroughly defeated by Jiang Man.

Initially, she thought she would be humiliated and disgraced upon leaving.

But that didn’t happen in the end, because many others had also suffered setbacks.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

But after the second assessment, public opinion of number 210 had shifted. Many felt he was just a show-off, nothing more.

She was still mocked.

She had thought he would accomplish something this time.

But he ended up ranked at the absolute bottom.

’I have to achieve something this time, or I’ll be ridiculed even more harshly when I get out.’

’Number 210’s performance is just too awful.’

She even wanted to find him and give him a hand.

’As long as he does well, I won’t have to face all the scorn and criticism outside.’

「The first day.」

Jiang Man smoothly completed two rounds of cultivating the Five Elements Technique.

He successfully reached the First Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

There was no nightfall in this Secret Realm, so by outside world standards, it was still some time before dawn.

After that, Jiang Man continued his cultivation.

After four more rounds.

The Second Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

After eight rounds, dawn broke.

The Third Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

After sixteen rounds, it was noon.

The Fourth Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

By now, he was much more familiar with it, and the speed at which he circulated it began to accelerate continuously.

After nightfall, as midnight approached.

The Fifth Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

However, the total amount of daily cultivation was insufficient, so he had to circulate the Nascent Condensation Skill a few times to replenish his energy.

「Dusk on the second day.」

The Sixth Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

「As midnight approached on the third day.」

The Seventh Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

He had run out of Qi Blood Pills, and all his other food was gone too.

Jiang Man sighed. ’I can’t believe even finding food has become a problem.’

Jiang Man glanced around.

He didn’t see any Demon Beasts, but he did spot a Crimson Fruit Tree.

But...

’I’m not sure if it’s edible.’

The tree seemed out of place here.

’My gut tells me it’s not edible.’

Still, he broke off a small piece and sniffed it.

According to what the Old Yellow Ox had taught him, the fruit had a slightly pungent smell. It caused no reaction from his Spiritual Qi, nor did his Spirit show any fluctuations.

’It’s probably not poisonous.’

Jiang Man tasted a small piece and checked his body’s reaction.

After confirming it was safe, he ate a little more.

But soon, a subtle fluctuation appeared in his Spirit.

If his Spiritual Level hadn’t been so high, he would never have noticed it.

"Poisonous. Hallucinogenic."

Jiang Man had reached his conclusion.

However, when he circulated the Five Elements Technique, the spiritual fluctuation vanished.

"The Five Elements Technique is actually quite useful. No wonder we had to learn it to get in."

"The Five Elements Technique was probably designed specifically to deal with this place."

After cautiously finishing the fruit, Jiang Man resumed his cultivation.

「Noon on the fifth day.」

The Eighth Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

That day, Jiang Man sensed a Demon Beast watching him. He didn’t stay to fight and fled immediately.

Fortunately, it had no intention of giving chase.

He then continued his cultivation.

「The afternoon of the eighth day.」

Jiang Man took a deep breath.

He stopped his cultivation.

The Ninth Layer of the Five Elements Technique.

"It’s done," Jiang Man mused.

The Five Elements Technique—a cycle of creation and destruction.

The first five layers cultivate Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, while the last four layers cultivate their fusion.

At the Ninth Layer, the Five Elements Combined, creating a cycle of creation and destruction.

When he circulated the technique, a Five Elements pattern appeared behind him.

It radiated an endless, self-sustaining energy.

Even the dense fog could no longer obstruct his vision.

And the poisons here were even less of a threat.

’There are about seven days left. I wonder how the others are doing.’

By this point, Jiang Man had lost his sense of direction.

He could only pick a direction and press onward.

His first instinct upon encountering a Demon Beast was to hide.

This was the disadvantage of not having powerful Magic Skills; his high Cultivation was useless.

After walking for the better part of a day, Jiang Man saw a beam of light descending ahead.

Curious, he slowly approached it.

He discovered that the area was completely clear of fog.

All he saw was a stone stele, slightly taller than a man, standing there.

The light was falling directly onto it.

As Jiang Man got closer, he noticed numerous Palm Seals on the stele. Strangely, the highest one was only in the upper-middle section.

There were none at the very top.

Jiang Man reached out and touched one of the upper-middle Palm Seals. In that instant, he seemed to hear a voice: "What of the ancients? What of the supreme geniuses? Our generation has already reached a realm beyond others."

Surprised, Jiang Man immediately touched a second Palm Seal, and another voice emerged: "I had no intention to compete, but alas, the rest of you were even worse."

Jiang Man continued down the stele.

"Everyone calls themselves a prodigy, everyone claims to be a genius, yet none can leave their mark here."

"Did I leave a mark because I’m a genius? No, I just did it in passing."

"The people below are so pretentious, yet they’re still not as good as me."

"Do the people above think they’re amazing just because they’re higher? I simply couldn’t be bothered to compete seriously with you lot."

Jiang Man had heard enough. ’As an Unparalleled Celestial Pride, I have to leave something behind, too.’

Finally, his gaze fell upon the very top of the stele.

He placed his palm on it, then circulated the Five Elements Technique.

Instantly, the stele trembled, as if trying to reject Jiang Man’s body and power in every way imaginable.

It rejected his age, his Cultivation, his state of mind, even the time he had spent cultivating and the time he’d spent practicing Magic Skills.

However...

No matter how much the stele tried to push back, it couldn’t truly repel him.

And so, a clear Palm Seal was forcefully imprinted at the very highest point.

In that moment, Jiang Man felt that he could leave a message.

"This is the limit of the stele, not my limit."

The moment he spoke, words began to etch themselves onto the surface.

After making sure everything was in order, Jiang Man dusted off his hands and left.

Jiang Man pressed onward, without any intention of lingering.

And the stele remained, standing tall.

Unbeknownst to anyone, someone had just left a Palm Seal.

「The ninth day.」

Jiang Man saw the Black Eagle again. He followed it and finally emerged from the central forest.

Looking at the fog-free forest, Jiang Man sighed with emotion.

It felt as if the world had suddenly brightened.

Just then, two people came running out from the side.

They looked extremely battered, but they cheered upon making it out.

Jiang Man turned to look at them; they seemed somewhat familiar.

They looked over at him as well.

They also seemed to find him familiar.

Suddenly, the woman started. "Number 210?"

Jiang Man was rather surprised. "That’s me."

"I’m Number Ninety-eight," the woman said.

The man added, "And I’m Number Ninety-nine."

"What a coincidence. Do you have any food?" Jiang Man asked.

"Only Qi Blood Pills. You want them?" Number Ninety-nine asked, taking out five.

Jiang Man nodded.

He then took three of the elixirs to replenish his Qi and Blood.

He saved the remaining two for later.

"I don’t have any Spiritual Source on me right now. I’ll pay you back later," Jiang Man replied.

’I have that bet with Number Sixty-six. If I win, I’ll be able to pay them back.’

"No need to pay us back. We can keep providing them," Number Ninety-nine said. "But we can form teams here. Are you in a team?"

In the end, Number Ninety-nine and his companion offered to cover his future need for Qi Blood Pills, and they successfully formed a team with Jiang Man.

Number Ninety-eight was confused. ’Only those with mediocre cultivation of the Five Elements Technique were supposed to end up in that forest.’

’So clearly, Number 210 hasn’t achieved Five Elements Combined.’

Number Ninety-nine just said, "Remember when he learned Wandering Dragon?"

Instantly, Number Ninety-eight recalled how at the beginning, Number 210 didn’t know the Wandering Dragon skill either, but he mastered it in just a few days.

And then he joined the competition.

Now, he didn’t know this technique at the start either, but here he is, ready to compete again.

’Doesn’t that mean he’s achieved Five Elements Great Success?’

Number Ninety-eight found it hard to believe.

’But what if it’s true?’

’Wouldn’t we just get carried to victory?’

’Turns out our luck is just that good.’

However, they had only taken a few steps before three people blocked their path.

Judging by their figures, it was also a group of two men and one woman.

"I don’t know what your Cultivation levels are, but what matters here is the Five Elements Technique," the leader of the group said, looking at Jiang Man’s party. "We have Wood, Water, and Earth. We need a Fire and a Metal. Two of you three should fit the bill."

Jiang Man replied calmly, "I’m neither of those."

The man said with a hint of pity, "Then you’re eliminated."

Jiang Man turned to the two behind him. "Do you want to team up with them?"

"We’re sticking with you," Number Ninety-nine said without hesitation.

The man’s brow furrowed. "This is a Secret Realm, and you need the Five Elements Technique. Teaming up with us is the logical choice. There’s no need to be emotional..."

But before he could finish, he suddenly saw Jiang Man appear right beside him.

In an instant, he felt the earth tremble, the trees lock onto him, and the moisture in the air restrain him.

A terrifying pressure bore down on him—it was the weight of Spiritual Qi.

Then came Jiang Man’s calm voice: "Oh, it’s not being emotional. It’s having a discerning eye."

As he finished speaking, Jiang Man took a step and moved past the man.

But not one of the three dared to move a muscle.

Jiang Man kept walking. "Let’s go. We don’t have much time."

Number Ninety-nine and Number Ninety-eight were both stunned.

They had met a true master.